
Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk
You could make an argument for establishing a new sub-genre called something like "assassin fantasy," given the number of novels currently on the shelves with heroes in that grim and surprisingly popular profession. So when the cover of Shadow's Son, Jon Sprunk's debut novel, shows a man wearing a hood and flashing a set of matching knives, it's not hard to predict the main character's occupation before even opening the book.
And yes, right in the opening scene, the novel's protagonist — Caim — is indeed found secretly observing a noble before attempting to assassinate him. After completing the job and escaping by using his mysterious "shadow" powers, Caim picks up another assignment that was recently abandoned by his colleague Ral. However, when Caim arrives at the house of the target — a wealthy man recently retired from the highest circles of power — ... Read More